NEWS BRIEFS

• SUSPICIOUS PERSON AT HILO SCHOOLS: Hawaii County Police issued an alert shortly after 10 a.m. stating that Hilo High, Intermediate, and Union Schools were locked down due to a suspicious person complaint. About 10 minutes later, police issued another alert – a correction – saying Hilo High, Intermediate, Union were not on lockdown. “Police responded to suspicious person complaint, Police have cleared the area” the alert read. Read the media release below for more information.
• HIGH SURF CLOSES BAYFRONT: Hilo Bayfront Highway was closed to traffic due to high surf and debris at 10 p.m. Tuesday night. A high surf warning is in effect for east facing shores of the Big Island.
• UH SETTLES FIRST AMENDMENT LAWSUIT: The University of Hawaii agreed on Tuesday to settle a First Amendment lawsuit filed by two students at UH’s Hilo campus. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) announced that the university will pay students Merritt Burch and Anthony Vizzone $50,000 in attorneys’ fees and damages, and will also “revise its speech policies system-wide to allow free speech and the distribution of literature in ‘all areas generally available to students and the community’ without requiring that students seek permission first.” In January, Burch and Vizzone were stopped from passing out copies of the U.S. Constitution and told to “restrict their protest against National Security Agency (NSA) spying to a tiny, flood-prone ‘free speech zone,’” according to FIRE.
• ESCAPED INMATE RETURNED: Big Island work furlough inmate Jordan Kaneshiro is back in custody at the Hawaii Community Correctional Center after Hawaii County Police arrested him Sunday morning.

  On Wednesday, (Nov. 26) Kaneshiro failed to return to the Hale Nani Furlough Center on the Big Island after job-seeking. The Hawaii Department of Public Safety says he was scheduled to return at 2 p.m.

  Jordan – who is classified as community custody which is the lowest custody level – was serving time for Terroristic Threatening and Abuse of a Family Member. Escape 2 is expected to be added to his charges. His next parole hearing is scheduled for this January.

• UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII-HILO PUBLIC PRESENTATION: Dr. Linc Gotshalk will speak on “The Science Behind Type II Diabetes” on Wednesday, December 17, 6:30-7:30 p.m., in UCB Room 100. According to the University:

  Gotshalk, a professor of kinesiology and exercise science, will introduce diabetes, describe its physiological facts, including insulin control of blood sugar, discuss mechanisms for health problems due to diabetes, discuss its effects of stress, present the impact it will have in terms of genetic evolution, and share his thoughts on how to incorporate preventive actions.

• MASTER SHELL LEI MAKER RETURNS: “Due to the overwhelming response to his November workshops,” Hilo’s Lyman Museum says the master shell lei maker from the island of Ni`ihau, Kele Kanahele, will return to the museum this month to teach his authentic art. The new dates are Friday, December 19 and Saturday, December 20, from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. both days. Space is limited to 24 persons per day; only people who have registered can be permitted in the classroom.

CLARIFICATION: SUSPICIOUS PERSON AT HILO SCHOOLS

Hawaiʻi Island police notified an elementary school as a precaution Wednesday morning (December 3) after receiving a report of a suspicious person nearby.

At 9:35 a.m. Wednesday, South Hilo Patrol officers responded to a report of a suspicious man who had been seen wandering on and around Waiānuenue Avenue in the vicinity of Hilo Union School. Police notified the school and responded to the area.

Police located a 28-year-old Pāhoa man who was disoriented. After speaking with officers, the man left the area without incident.

By coincidence, the school was in the process of conducting a lock down drill at the time of the report. No schools went on actual lock down.Hawaii County Police Dept. media release on Dec. 3, 2014